


wandering

by kihyunskitten



Category: Z Nation (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-10-31
Updated: 2018-04-11
Packaged: 2019-01-27 11:08:20
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 2,994
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12580424
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kihyunskitten/pseuds/kihyunskitten
Summary: “You live in the forest?” The guy raises a single eyebrow, and boy howdy even in the apocalypse Lee can tell that tiny tummy lurch that tells him he’s into someone.(Set in some AU around the gap between season 1 and 2 idk)





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> this is self indulgent as all hell (but also the oc is an actually character from my own works ive made, his name is lee n i lov him)

Treetops used to be terrifying. Then, they were comforting. Now, of course, they’re a mix of both. Most everything in the fucking apocalypse is terrifying in some way shape or form. Lee is lucky though, the only z’s he’s got to worry about up here are the odd zombie birds. Granted, they’re creepy as all hell, but fairly harmless.

He wishes he could go home, now more than ever before. Sucks to be a runaway. Who knew? There’s the house in Colorado if the folks there are still alive, and he’s fairly certain they are. Either way, he left to get away from people. It’s been a relative success so far, unless you consider zombies people. That’s a whole other debate.

Lee doesn’t consider them people purely because they don’t expect him to talk, which is a blessing. He’s somewhere in Wyoming, maybe, but he can’t tell. The roads are far off the forest where he’s staying. No matter how few people there are, they still show up on the road.

Some rustle in the underbrush makes him peek out from where he is up high. It’s a fairly faint noise, but being so in tune with nature has its positives. Looking down, he sees someone with black hair. It looks… spiky? Who the fuck has time for hair styling in the apocalypse?

Looking a bit closer, the person seems to have a sniper rifle which is less than ideal for Lee “I sit in high treetops so people can’t shoot me” Hale. Common sense tells him to let the stranger pass, but they look lost. And, well, if playing the Sims taught him anything, it’s that people need socialization to not be miserable, no matter how small the interaction.

“Road’s back the way you came,” he shouts down, making the person look up and around, lifting the gun. Lee softly climbs down. 

“Who’s there?” The person seems to be looking through their scope.

Figuring if he’s gunna die, he might as well get a good look at the killer, Lee hops down the branches, landing in a soft roll before standing. “I’m unarmed,” he says, seeing the person point the gun at him. He lifts his arms in the air as further proof, to make the guy feel safer. “I mean, I have a knife in my belt but I don’t have a gun or anything.”

“What are you doing out here?” The gun still isn’t coming down.

“I should be asking  _ you _ that. I live here.” Indignantly, Lee crosses his arms and looks at the person in front of him. He misses feeling safe enough to fully check this guy out because hot fucking  _ damn _ .

“You live in the forest?” The guy raises a single eyebrow, and boy howdy even in the apocalypse Lee can tell that tiny tummy lurch that tells him he’s into someone. 

“I mean, the trees, but yeah. Trees are in the forest, so,” Lee trails off, biting his lip. He feels a bit vulnerable, and not necessarily in the fun way.

“You an ender?”

It takes everything not to roll his eyes, “You ever met an ender who still knows how to form sentences?” The guy holding the gun stays silent, and Lee sighs. “Can you put the gun down now? If I were gunna lunge at you I would’ve done it by now.” The gun gets pointed towards the ground, and Lee lets out a deep breath. “Thank you.”

“Who are you?”

Leaning against the trunk of the tree he came down from, he sighs. “Lee. You got a name?” He figures the guy should get a name in his head besides ‘hot sniper dude who could probably kick my ass.’

“Ten thousand, everyone I know calls me 10k though.” The guy’s posture seems to relax, which is nice. Lee is in no state to fight anyone. 

“That’s cool.” He doesn’t comment on how it’s definitely not the name 10k’s parents gave him, because Lee isn’t going by his birth name either. “Why are you out in the forest, 10k?”

“My group, our car broke down and we’re running low on water. I came out to try and find something that’ll help.” Now that they’re not in a standoff, Lee is even more drawn to this guy, probably because his life isn’t in danger.

“There’s a river not far from here,” Lee says. “It’s where I get my water. I could take you there if you want.” He says it casually, still leaning against the tree and hoping to god (or, zombie god at this point possibly) that he looks good. Living in the forest is good for vanity since there are no mirrors, but shit he hopes he looks at least ruggedly handsome.

10k looks suspicious of the offer, which is understandable. Even in the apocalypse, where people should help each other, everyone dicks everyone else over for no real reason anymore. Every asshole is given a big excuse for being an asshole since it’s the apocalypse. He must be desperate for water though, because he puts his gun over his shoulder and nods.

“Man of few words, huh?” Lee pushes off the tree trunk, walking past 10k to lead the way. He keeps himself from laughing at the lack of response, but just barely. 

It doesn’t take them long to get to the river. Lee sits on a rock by the water’s edge, looking at 10k. He wants to say something, because the silence is awkward. 10k gets on his knees by the water’s edge and splashes some on his face. His leaning forward gives Lee a chance to check out his ass, which is nice. Lee feels a little bit bad for taking advantage of the situation like this, but there’s only so much eye candy in the apocalypse. He’ll take what he can get.

“How many of you are there anyways?” The question comes because Lee sees 10k filling up bottle after bottle with water.

“A few,” he replies, capping another bottle. 

“Manners cost nothing in the apocalypse, my dude.” That gets a tiny laugh out of 10k, so that’s a win. Lee’s smile twists into a look of pain for a second, and he doubles over, trying to catch his breath. He hears the bottles hit the ground, and he holds out an arm. “I’m fine.”

“Are you hurt?” 10k sounds confused and just a bit concerned, which is comforting.

“Just, my ribs, it’s fine I’m fine.” He takes a few deep breaths, pressing down on his sternum and wincing. 

“I have a friend, one of the people in our group, he’s a doctor, kind of. He could help maybe.”

“Seriously, it’s fine,” Lee tries standing and needs to lean against the rock, wind knocked out of him. “I’ll live.” 10k picks up his bottles before coming over to poke Lee lightly. He almost falls over. “Point taken,” Lee gasps out, rolling his shoulders back. “I’ll go.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this'll mostly be about gay transness in the apocalypse idk!


	2. Chapter 2

He’s really not ready to Mulan this shit, but the doctor, Doc (very original name, yeah), asks for a closer look to see if there’s anything on Lee’s chest causing this. “Can we, I just, maybe away from people a bit?” Lee hopes his quick glance at 10k is passed off as basic nervous self-conscious stuff.

The woman who looks like the leader seems suspicious about the proposition, and Lee just rolls his eyes even as Doc takes them to the other side of the car, closer to the forest. Sighing, he pulls the shirt up over his head, looking to the ground.

“Well, everything needs to come off dude-”

“I can’t take off my binder,” Lee says, and it’s a quiet angry whisper.

“You-” Doc seems confused for a second before sighing. “You bind your chest? In the apocalypse?”

“Hey, apocalypse or not dysphoria is still a bitch, could you keep your voice down?” Even with his top covered by the half tank binder, he covers his chest with his hands. Ever since he got his first, only being in the binder still feels like being topless.

“Do you not want people to know? It’s nothing to be ashamed of, you know.”

Lee tries to contain his shock. “You’re the first doctor I’ve ever met that isn’t a transphobic fuck, wowza.” He sighs, wincing at the pain of it. “I just, don’t like having to explain myself. Whenever I do then people see me differently. They pretend they think I’m a boy but there’s always that little thing you know? I don’t wanna deal with that.”

“Shit man, I’m sorry but, you know the issues with breathing are coming from this, right? It’s not safe. When’s the last time you took it off?”

“Six months ago.” Pulling his shirt back on, he winces again. “It’s fine Doc, I’ll live. At least it’s not ace bandages or something.” He remembers using those, and fuck did they hurt.

Soon as the shirt is back on, 10k comes around the car, telling Doc that Warren got the truck fixed. Lee is terrified for a split second that he saw. 10k is fairly expressionless. Doc sighs, “I wanna bring him with us. Just to the next pharmacy we come across.”

“Every pharmacy has been ransacked,” the redhead girl says.

“Maybe not for inhalers, I think the kid has asthma.” When nobody is looking, Doc winks at Lee, making him smile, mouthing a soft thanks.

He ends up sitting in the back with 10k. It’s a bit cramped, their thighs pressing together. Lee hopes they think his raised temperature and red cheeks are from a fever and not how goddamn queer he is.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> don't wear ur binders for more than 7 hours at a time kids,
> 
> also i am still working on this also murphy isnt gunna be in it ever since i hate him, anyways, i have college so consistent updates won't exist but!!! i will keep writing
> 
> thanks for reading!


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> y'all please dont wear your binders for more than seven hours at a time. lee is stupid. don't be like lee.

Lee doesn’t know how long they’re on the road for. What he does know is that he jolts awake at the sound of a car door slamming, and he lifts his head from where it fell in his sleep. 

Under his cheek is 10k’s shoulder, the fucking spiky haired cutie looking dead ahead like a blonde cutie isn’t leaning on his shoulder and resting. Lee vaguely thinks that he deserves at least a pitying pat on the head. All he has now is a crick in his neck. 

Softly sighing and wincing a bit as he unbuckles his seatbelt (safety first, even in the apocalypse), Lee hops out of the car to stretch his legs. He also stretches his arms above his head, his back tilting backward before he grunts in pain. 

Covering his hand with his mouth to hide a pained noise, Lee shuts his eyes and tries to breathe, short breaths lower in his lungs.  _ Fuck _ this is not sustainable. 

“You good?”

Lee lifts his head, and the question had come from the redhead, Addy he thinks he remembers them calling her. 

“I’m alright,” Lee says, but the slight wheeze and pained smile he gives her can’t be entirely convincing. 

She just gives him a sympathetic look and goes to talk to the leader of the group, and Lee is thankful that she doesn’t push it. 

At least, he thinks, nobody has misgendered him. Luckily he had gone past the seven-month mark on hrt before the apocalypse began, and that shit stays put, so his voice is decently low, and he can tell with them he ‘passes’ even though he hates that concept.

It’s the apocalypse, though, and he trusts Doc, but you never know who’s transphobic, and with death being even closer than ever, being trans pots that risk up quite a bit. It’s why he was living in the forest.

Why the fuck did he leave, again?

-

It’s out of the car and into the small town they found. Warren told Doc and 10k to go with Lee to find a pharmacy while she and Addy try to find more supplies. He feels childish, flanked by an old man and a stoic unfairly handsome guy holding a rifle when all Lee has is his knife.

He found it stuck in a trunk of a tree in his forest a few months back, and he doesn’t think he can use it competently if he gets into an altercation. Not having seen anyone for a long time, being around these other people is making him jittery, crush on 10k aside.

“There’s a pharmacy up this way,” Doc says, pointing down the road to a rundown CVS sign. Looking closer, Lee sees across the street from it.

“Why is there a Walgreens right across from it? What the fuck kind of competitive business model was that?”

Doc laughs, covering his mouth to keep it quiet. Lee looks over to 10k, seeing the corner of his mouth turned up. Fucking  _ score _ .

Opening the door to the CVS, 10k goes in first, Doc bringing up the back and Lee in-between them. They walk slowly and silently, hoping no zombies are gunna hop out and jump-scare them. Lee could never even watch horror movies.

They get to the pharmacy counter at the back of the store, 10k hopping over the counter and Lee following suit when 10k gives the all clear.

“Thank fuck,” Lee hums, sliding over the counter and going to look at what’s left of the pharmacy stock. “I was always so bad with horror movies, I had to hide from jump-scares in my boyfriend’s shirt.”

He says it casually, Doc giving a small hum and responding, “Horror movies are always scariest when you’re high.”

10k doesn’t seem to have a reaction, and Lee stores that in the back of his mind. No violent homophobia from him, so that’s a good sign.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> there is actually a walgreens across from a cvs in my town its Wild
> 
> camp nanowrimo means i'm churning these out fairly fast! hope you enjoyed <3


	4. Chapter 4

They don’t end up finding any antibiotics or any more useful medications, but there’s a low-level inhaler tucked behind a shelf, the box kind of dinged up. Doc picks it up and hands it to Lee.

Pulling it out of the packaging, Lee takes a cursory glance at the instructions before using the inhaler, the deep breath making his ribs hurt even more. The sharpness of the pain makes him drop the inhaler, bending over and grabbing his ribcage.

Doc rushes over immediately, putting his hands on Lee’s shoulders. “Look, kid, I know you’re scared, but this thing is hurting you. You gotta,” he lowers his voice, and Lee appreciates it, “you gotta take off the binder. You can’t keep going like this.”

“I’m fine,” Lee wheezes out. “Drop me off at the nearest forest, I’ll head up a tree and I’ll be fine.”

“You’ll fall out of the tree or die of starvation,” Doc says, squeezing one of Lee’s shoulders.

“We should head back soon,” 10k says and clears his throat, clearly not comfortable with the conversation.

Doc stands up straight, looking over at him, “10k, can you check out back and make sure it’s clear that way? Lee just needs a sec.”

Standing still for a few moments, clearly wary of leaving Lee alone with Doc, he makes the decision to go out back, knowing Lee can’t do anything with the state he’s in.

“Quick,” Doc says, tugging at the hem of Lee’s shirt before running to the aisle where they have some clothing items in the pharmacy. “Makeshift camisole binder. It won’t keep you as flat, but it won’t hurt like that.”

Nervously, Lee looks to the door 10k left from, then over to Doc. He doesn’t have any other options, he knows. This could very well kill him, and in all honesty, he doesn’t want to die, so he takes off his shirt, wincing at the pain as he extends his arms upward.

Taking off the binder takes a while. It’s practically stuck to him from sweat and dirt since he’s been wearing it for so long. Tugging it off hurts like hell, and he lets out quiet whimpers as Doc runs back with a shitty small camisole inside plastic packaging.

“It’s all clear out back,” 10k says, and Lee fucking freezes, covering his chest with his forearms.

Everything stops for a moment. Doc is looking at 10k, then back at Lee, clearly not knowing what to do. Lee is staring at the ground, arms covering his chest as his whole body is curled forward, trying to hide. 

Looking up through blonde bangs, Lee sees 10k just, staring at him. He feels like he might throw up.

“Doc,” he says quietly, turning his back to 10k and holding one arm out. The older man hands him the camisole.

“You just-”

“Fold it into thirds, I know,” Lee says, slipping the clothing over his head, folding it and picking up his shirt from the ground. He still winces, but his ribcage isn’t actively being constricted anymore, so that’s a plus.

Doc picks up the binder, folding it and putting it into his bag. “We should keep this with us, I don’t think gc2b is still producing.” He says it to lighten the mood, but Lee can’t laugh.

When he has the shirt back on, he turns to Doc, avoiding looking at 10k, who stands across the room, silent. “I feel like I’m not even wearing anything.” Looking down at his own chest, Lee’s heart sinks to see his chest larger than it was without his binder. He’s not big there anyways, but he’s used to his binder flattening him entirely.

“It’s better than you not being able to breathe,” Doc says, grabbing the inhaler and putting it in his bag as well.

“We should go,” 10k says again, his voice devoid of any fucking clues.

Lee nods, going to stand next to Doc as they follow 10k out the back.

-

Their walk back to the car is silent, but as they get closer to the car, Doc pulls 10k back by his sleeve. Lee stops with them, looking at Doc.

“I don’t know what’s going through your head, kid, but Lee’s trying to stay safe. You don’t tell Warren or Addy, got it?”

10k looks more confused than anything, looking right at Lee as he responds, “I won’t tell anyone.”


End file.
